Koeksisters

• Makes 36

• Preparation time:

• Cooking time:

Ingredients

4 Cups White sugar
3 Cups Water
1⁄2 Tbsp Golden syrup
1⁄2 tsp Cream of tarter
1⁄4 Cup Lemon juice

For the dough:
4 Cups Cake flour
1 tsp Salt
4 tsp Baking powder
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Eggs
1 1⁄2 Cups Water

Method

For the syrup:
Mix all syrup ingredients together in a medium sized heavy based saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved Increase heat and simmer for 6 – 8 minutes until syrup stands to thicken Add lemon juice and chill very well. Preferably overnight in freezer.

For the dough:
Sift flour, salt and baking powder twice. Rub better into flour until well
Incorporated. Beat eggs and water together. Make a well in the middle of flour mixture, pour liquid into well and mix to a well combined dough. Knead dough until elastic and soft. The dough will be very soft. Do not add any extra flour.

Wrap in cling wrap and allow to rest in fridge for 3 hours or overnight. Roll dough out to a thickness of 3 mm thick. Cut strips of 3 1⁄2 cm wide by 10 cm long. Cut 2 slits into length of each strip leaving 3 mm at the top. Pleat dough into a braid and squeeze ends together to secure. Return to fridge and allow to rest under a damp cloth for 10 min. Heat vegetable oil in a deep saucepan to medium hot and fry 5 koeksisters at a time until light golden brown for about 2 minutes. Remove from oil and dunk immediately into cold syrup. Leave in syrup whilst frying the next batch. Remove from syrup and set aside.

Notes

Syrup needs to be ice cold at all times. Divide syrup in half and always keep one in freezer between each batch of cooking. The koeksisters improve when left in fridge for 1 day before serving. For a different flavor add 2 cinnamon sticks and the zest of 1 orange or 2 lemons to the syrup.